For some reason, an existing Phoenix 1600 thread was closed and the only other thread is for the Phoenix 2000...so I figured I'd start a new thread and tell y'all how wonderful this ship is (my flying buddy and I have two of them....one for each of us).

Received this from the HK West warehouse (Go West!!!...we're just over the Cascade mountains from the warehouse!).

Boxes were in mint condition as were the parts inside.

Kind of a pain installing all the control surface horns (I'm spoiled!), but I do recommend you use all 4 screws for each control horn and don't over tighten. The pushrods for the ailerons and flaps seem sturdy enough so we used them. Ditto on the pre-installed pushrods for elevator/rudder. In fact, the pushrods for elevator/rudder seem very well made and installed very sturdily (to me anyway).

Wing went together well, but we chose to further reinforce the wing center join with three strips of wide (3 inch?) fiber tape (BEFORE putting on the plastic saddle thingey that comes with the kit). The saddle thing then goes onto our taped middle wing and then the wing goes on the fuse.

We chose to use servo "join" plugs (y-harness?) to make the ailerons be considered "one" servo as well as the flaps to be considered "one" servo. This allowed us to easily extend the wiring from under the wing forward up to where the receiver sits (basically on top of the battery which is itself in the battery tray). One problem with this approach is that the wiring from the ailerons and flaps come into the fuselage right where the elevator/rudder servos are and this makes me nervous in terms of binding and all that.

The good news is that the servo tray that the elevator/rudder sit in have two more holes dremeled out and they are further towards the back of the plane. So we will probably use those holes for the servos thus giving us more room for the aileron/flap wiring to make it into the fuse.

The parts package, while very seemingly generous in scope, is seriously deficient in WHERE each particular screw goes. Just do your best to figure out which screws to use for the tail feathers and wing, but make SURE you save the obvious bolts for the wing (two long and two short). They are machine bolts that are NOT screws (they are simply meant to go down through the wing and fasten to the nuts that are sitting in the fuse).

We added flap servos and used simple Turnigy S3101S 17g servos: https://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...arehouse_.html
Our radio supports a 3-way switch so we usually set it up as follows:
1. no flaps,
2. 50pcnt flaps (or perhaps it's better to say 45 degrees?),
3. About 80pcnt flaps (or perhaps 70-80 degrees).
The flaps surprisingly help (they seem small to me?) - more on that down below.

We used Turnigy 2200mAh 3S 25C batts: https://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...arehouse_.html

We carefully removed the battery tray and removed the weight that was glued underneath it. Then we screwed the battery tray back in and mounted the battery on the tray and the receiver right on top of the battery. We mounted a Mobius action cam right behind the canopy but before the wing. Perfect location.

The motor seems small, but the combination of the motor and prop ends up being PLENTY powerful for this ship (in fact, upward thrust, to get higher in the air, reminds me of my Radian Pro, only the Phoenix seems to outperform the Radian Pro in upward thrust). We hooked up our watt meter and I seem to remember it hitting right at 29 watts at full throttle, but I could be mis-remembering, so don't take this as gospel. I will confirm this and edit/repost my findings.

Whatever the watt meter reading was, it seemed to be slightly BELOW what we think the ESC is (30W esc?? - the blue shrink wrapped OEM esc?), and therefore we simply pledged to only go full throttle for brief periods of time. Besides, we fly mostly slope and thermal so we don't need much engine (but it's sure nice to have!).

The ESC is programmed from the factory to have prop brake OFF.

TO PROGRAM THE ESC FOR PROP BRAKE: Turn radio and plane off. Turn radio on and put throttle at FULL throttle. Turn plane on. You will hear some tones indicating that the ESC is in "programming" mode. The first tone is a simple beep tone (with just one beep if I recall).
When it changes to a different tone/number of beeps (i.e., the SECOND type of beeping that is DIFFERENT from the first type of beeping - this second beeping is a triplet beep (e.g., dit-dit-dit) if I recall), this is when you want to yank the throttle to the lowest point of its throw. This will turn the prop brake ON.
Then, when you're flying in thermals or slope lift, and you pull throttle down to off, the prop brake will engage and your folding props will fold and now your FPV cam will not be obstructed by the prop spinning.
I will ALSO confirm this and hopefully post a video showing you how to set the prop brake.

Finally...we woke up the next day in Dayton, WA and headed up to Eckler Mountain (also called "Doobie Hill" by the locals...gee...I wonder why?). The wind was stronger than the previous day and was probably hitting the hill at maybe 15-20 mph (it later dropped to 10-15 which is barely able to lift this bird). 15-20 MPH (or higher) is actually good for the Phoenix since this bird is slightly heavy (I think it weighed in at 2 pounds?) and also because the Phoenix penetrates well.

As is typical with all maiden flights, prayers are spoken, last minute instructions muttered, servos tested, various methodologies of flight considered...but finally you just have to CHUCK THE THING OFF THE HILL. So we did.

Aaaaaaand.......THIS PLANE ROCKS!!!! We have the Bixler 1.1, the Radian Pro, the Super Sky Surfer, the Phantom FX61 flying wing (and many other miscellaneous planes) and in our humble opinion, the Phoenix 1600 is better than all of them (realizing that some ships are designed different for a reason, like the Phantom and the Super Sky Surfer and the comparison maybe isn't fair...).

From the first toss, she flew effortlessly and seemed really "slippery" in the air (in a good way). She was a tad nose heavy, so we moved the 2200mAh battery back a little more. That seemed to balance it perfectly (and yes, we are using the factory indicated CG underneath each wing panel). Our first few flights were with a simple Mobius right behind the canopy, but we added FPV equipment later and that was fine too (more on that below).

With everything stock (except the added Mobius), the Phoenix 1600 is very "nimble" in the air, yet you can set your flaps to help you slow down and be more balloon like. The 50pcnt flaps (45 degrees) can be flown most of the time if you're just trying to stay afloat in less wind than you'd like. The 80pcnt flaps (lottts of flap but not 90 degrees...more like 70-80!) is definitely good for landing and/or just getting the thing to stand still for awhile. I was surprised that the flaps had this much effect since they seem small from a width standpoint.

As far as speed, as long as the wing is screwed on tight and everything tied down, you can scream this thing around like a "poor man's" hot-liner (more like a "medium-liner). Again though...you should be careful with full throttle for too long a period of time (based on other posts I've read). We don't do a ton of acrobatics on ships like this simply because we are usually shooting video footage and/or doing FPV, so we don't really need huge rolls or other crazy stuff. That said, it rolls quite well for its wing span and loops are simple and nice and all that.

I had wondered if the wings would be as flimsy seeming as the Radian Pro (that bird flaps its wings a LOT when you put stress on it!), but I was pleasantly surprised to see the Phoenix 1600 fly very fast and the wings seem very sturdy (at least they seem sturdier in times of stress than the Radian Pro). As far as penetration, I said this bird was slippery. It penetrates EXTREMELY well in slope lift (again...we were somewhere around 15-20mph).

But then it can sit back and float around too (especially with some slight flaps like the 50pcnt (45 degree) we have dialed in). Very versatile bird in the air. Seemingly good at all flight envelopes.

FPV: we then hooked up an FPV video transmitter and took the feed from the Mobius and flew FPV for awhile. This ship is GREAT for FPV. Plenty of additional room in the canopy area for other equipment (although we modified our 2200mAh batt to provide power to EVERYTHING). We simply velcro'd the video transmitter to the wing right near the fuse and that worked great.

Plenty slow enough flight characteristics for slowly cruising around the sky, yet you can certainly speed things up for other thrills. My buddy landed his Phoenix both with and without FPV and it was great both ways. I bought one of these at the normal price (~$80) and then somehow the price dropped so I bought the other one a few days later (and it's almost fully put together).

For the price you simply cannot get any better for value. The fuse seems VERY tough (in fact my buddy skidded his Phoenix on rocks and it came out unscratched). The plane looks sharp and flies even sharper. Get one!!

Will try to verify the watt meter results, the weight, and provide some video of the Phoenix 1600 in flight as well as video of setting the prop brake.

Sincerely,

Have you any more updates? Just curious on about about the performance of the motor and other parts that is supplied in the kit, have you any video yet?

Regards John.

I just bought a kit version from the East warehouse for $40. Hopefully i have a motor sitting around that will fit.

I purchased the PNF version only because the AU warehouse didn't have the kit version, The international warehouse wanted $130 shipping for it, I was asking about the motor for the reason, it might save me changing it with something I have lying around in my work shop. I intend to use mine on the slope so its not that important, I will probably change out the servos as well if there not up to scratch.
John.

video:

2015-07-20 Phoenix 1600 Maiden Flight #3 - Kiona Butte (6 min 20 sec)

and

2015-07-20 Phoenix 1600 Maiden Flight #4 - Kiona Butte (13 min 20 sec)

The motor and ESC seem to be fine, however, on my buddies' Phoenix 1600, for some reason, after a few flights, the motor acts funny at high RPM. We haven't fully figured it out yet, but that's okay because we will probably replace BOTH the ESC and the motor for something like this:

Motor: https://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...dProduct=41164

ESC: 50W Hobby King or similar.

Thank you PianoMan for the great video's, look's like the 1600 is a good slope plane,I think the prop might be slightly to big for a 3S battery, note that the recommended battery is 2S, could be the cause of overheating some have complained about in the other thread, I will test with a 3S with a watt meter first , after I trim down and a balance of the prop, should be all good to go if it's below 25 amp's.If not I have a 40 amp Turnigy Plush ESC, https://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...ontroller.html

Regards John.

I just bought the last Phoenix 1600 kit version in stock in the Australian warehouse.

I went for the kit version simply because I've come across a lot of stories of poor quality motors and servos in the PnF versions. I've also read a few reports of the folding prop spinner breaking.

So while doing a little research I found this guy's videos and blog. I bought the motor he fitted to his one. He has actually run that same motor in a few different electric sailplanes with success, so it seems like a solid choice to me.

I'll probably end up using one of these speed controllers in 25 or 30 amp simply because I have a few lying around. I currently run them in 3 planes at the moment with no problems at all.

And to address the poor servo concerns I bought 6 Hitec HS-45HB servos. I've run the Karbonite gear Hitecs in other planes and never had a failure.

And just for shits n giggles, I also ordered an Aeronaut folding prop, because, well, why not.

It might be a while before this thing is up and flying, but I don't intend for it to sit in the box for ever, so maybe sooner rather than later.

I've got quite a few 1800 and 2200mah 3S batteries for other planes, so I'll just run those.

Grabbed the PnF version from the Oz warehouse and I am pretty surprised at the amount of work needs to go into it before use. Definitely going to set up flaps and swap out the servos all round, hate the cheapies. Reckon I will replace the short c/f wing insert with an arrow shaft that goes the full length of the slot too. Has anyone glassed the wings on this? Would be interested to know the results re weight gain etc.

To date, I have owned three of these planes, and I wouldn't hestitate to buy a fourth.
It is simply one of the absolute best low cost, all round, easy-going slopers I have yet encountered.

It handles superbly (and with ease) in anything from about 10 up to 20 knots. Aerobatic manoeuvres and landings can be done with absolute confidence. It can handle a few knocks from hard landings, (usually cartwheels from ground rotors), and repairs usually come down to nothing more than some hot-melt and/or stick on tape.

Its 'a hidden gem' as far as sloping goes and is well deserving of its own thread, as it handles completely differently from its >2m big brothers.

Cheers

Assembly is under way...

I've remade the battery tray as I didn't like the layout of the stock one (too many holes for lightness and not enough battery strap holes). Now it's just a solid flat piece with two battery straps. This will make it easier to mount the speed controller to the underside of it, and give me a little more freedom with battery position. I also have a telemetry sensor (battery volts and amps, LemonRX) that will mount on the underside with the speed controller.

I've also modified the rear tray. Same deal, too many holes and not enough room to mount hardware. So the servos have been moved back a little bit (and I'm using smaller servos), and I now have a decent spot at the front of this tray for my receiver.

The actual telemtry unit and the satellite receiver will mount directly to the inside of the fuse between the two wood trays, one on each side.

It's not a fast build, but it IS happening. The modifications are done at any rate, so the rest should be easier. The plan is to maybe fly it this weekend if it all goes to plan.

Assembly finished yesterday, maiden flight soon after. I like this plane a lot so far and I've only flown it for a few minutes. This thing just glides for ever.

I need to re-work the layout in the front just to try and get the CoG back a little bit, but this won't be an issue.

Has anyone else noticed that the part that holds down the rear stabilisers has what looks like a place to screw a skid to, but they didn't supply a skid. I may also have to sort something out for that just because why not.

Originally Posted by PianoMan

We chose to use servo "join" plugs (y-harness?) to make the ailerons be considered "one" servo as well as the flaps to be considered "one" servo.

Hello I am a newcomer to RCgroups and glider flying,
I'll begin flying an UMX Radian to hone my skills, and after that this plane.

I understand that you make flaps run as one servo, but if you this to ailerons you just reduce your turns to the rudder action (as on the UMX Radian).

Is that what you meant and how you fly?

Would you recommend it?

Thanks for your answer.

Cheers,

Aileron servos are usually mounted in the wing mirrored to each other, so if you use a Y-Harness, one goes up while one goes down.

Flap servos are usually mounted in the wing the same way, so if you use a Y-harness, they will move together.

This is how the cut-outs in the wing of this plane are set up.

However, running a Y-harness for either will limit how much you can use each servo. You don't have independant control over every servo. Both ailerons will move at the same time in opposite directions, no matter what.

If you run each servo from it's own channel, then you can do more complex things like mixing the flaps with the ailerons for better roll response. Or crow braking where the flaps go down and both ailerons go up (speed brakes for very short landings, or just slowing down).


I have set mine up with the ailerons on separate channels, and the flaps running a Y-harness. I can use the ailerons as speed brakes mixed with the flaps, but I can't use the flaps as extra ailerons (they only move together). It uses 6 channels. I COULD run an extra channel for the flaps, but at this stage I don't know if I need the extra aileron response. If I find it needs it later on, then it's not too hard to setup.

Of course it all depends on your radio and if you have enough channels, and mixing capability.

I didn't catch the fact that the ailerons servos were mirrored, so they work even if using an Y harness. (It is my first plane with ailerons).

I have an other question, mine arrived today with an additional plywood firewall unmounted.
I suppose it should be mounted in the fuselage, between plastic front end and motor to insulate the plastic from the motor generated heat.

Thanks for your explanations.